BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Firefighters came to the aid of a man who found himself trapped in the chimney of a Connecticut parks building. He was attempting to access the building’s bathroom to retrieve his dog after the doors automatically locked for the evening.
On Sunday morning, police were alerted to Rockwell Park in Bristol due to a burglary complaint. Park employees informed them of someone’s presence in the chimney. Firefighters arrived at the location and managed to extract the man after dismantling parts of the chimney and building, resulting in damage estimated between $5,000 and $10,000, according to police reports.
The man, a resident of Bristol, escaped injury but was arrested and charged with burglary, trespassing, and criminal mischief. He was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court on July 7.
A message seeking comment was sent to an email address listed in public records for the man. Phone numbers listed for him were not in service. Online court records did not list a lawyer for him.
The man got stuck near the flue of the chimney of Mrs. Rockwell’s Pavilion, a building named after a beneficiary of the park. Locks on the doors to the bathrooms are on new timers and automatically lock at 10 p.m. every night, said Erica Benoit, community engagement coordinator for Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services.
It’s not clear how the dog got stuck in the bathroom or how long the man was in the chimney. The doors can be opened from the inside after they are locked for the night. The dog was unharmed, police said.
“It is a bit of a crazy scenario,” Benoit said. “Our parks staff is working with the police department and the fire department to make sure that doesn’t happen again. If he had just contacted police in the first place, we might have been able to avoid the situation.”
